buttcentral | THE DISCO COP

The docks shouldn't be too far away from here. We can get there on foot.

[' Anywhere but where I was? 'That's kind of vauge. Maybe Harry really hated his old place before. Nier can't even begin to understand the other man's circumstances or why he would respond like that. ]

Are you alright, Harry?

[ Kinda funny that a guy covered in blood is asking that kind of question right now. ]

[ harry's brow presses down. ]

Yeah, why wouldn't I be?

[ he's fine, just fine, fine as one can be when you're him. it is what it is. he reaches into jacket and fishes out some cash, enough to close out his tab, and sets it on the table. he's about to leave but then realizes one thing he has to do. harry turns over his shoulder- ]

See you boys later!

[ -shouted at the men sitting at the table, his "cop buddies", who look up and seem bewildered for a few seconds before returning to their conversation. ]

Lets go Nier.

Well, if you're okay then we can go.

[ Nier just gets up and heads toward the exit. There's nothing he needs to do before they need to leave. Maybe he should conceal the bloody knife hidden in his armor better. It's a thought that might have occurred to him. He still stands at about six feet in height.

Though young, Nier is quite tall for his age. ]

The sooner we get back the better. I've...never traveled with a cop before.

[ he is tall, but harry is just a couple inches taller. this detail is only relevant to say he doesn't feel emasculated in the moment. they get out the tavern and harry spits to the ground. ]

Nothing special about it. I just like to run, if you're ok with that. [ he grins. ] Ok, lead the way.

I can sprint. Running should save us some time too.

[ At least they wouldn't have to spend thousands of years just to reach their destination. ]

The docks are just to the south of here. If we keep going straight and then turn left we should be there in a flash.

[ He waves towards Harry as they leave the tavern. ]

Do you just help people because it's the right thing to do???

[ and so they begin the sprint, nier taking lead. he's more than able to keep up despite appearances. ]

Yeah, mostly! It's also my job. If you really came to me for help, then I figure I should take on the task.

[ he likes taking on interesting tasks, getting them done, helping others along the way. ]

Thanks for your help. I might not know cops but I know the village guards. They're kind of like you.

[ People who work to help the citizens. Nier just thinks they might be different titles in the end. ]

The guards are responsible for keeping everybody else safe. It's a tough job.

[ ENDURANCE [Medium: Success] - It is. The years have raged on, and your body is breaking apart at the seams. The average life expectancy is only about seventy, but you? Brother, you would be extremely lucky if you even make it to 50. ]

Yeah, well, someone has to do it. At least that's why I do it.

[ he likes to think all cops have some drive to help others, but the reality is people join the force for their own reasons. those reasons are not always so pure as the profession presents them to be. ]

And what exactly do you do, Nier?

Odd jobs. I'll do what people ask me to. It doesn't matter what it is.

[ Nier has killed people for work before so that might seem a little suspicious. Bottom line is, if he's getting paid he'll be compelled to do it. ]

It's hard to find work so I'm not picky. This time it's just looking for missing people.

[ RHETORIC [Medium: Success] - It doesn't matter? How very specific and yet incredibly vague all at once.

CONCEPTUALIZATION [Godly: Failure] - Fixing pipes. Painting rooms. Pulling out the weeds. He can do it all. ]

So wait, you took a job to find these people? ...And you're asking me to help with your job?

[ his tone isn't judgmental but very curious, looking for an answer more than anything. was he struggling that much? ]

Well, yeah. I can't exactly go searching for someone without information. Asking around is just...normal.

I do that all the time. Besides, the village chief was the one asking me to do it so I couldn't exactly refuse.

[ You can't say no to the leader. There are some jobs that are difficult for Nier to turn down and this was one of them. He'd been searching for a long time on his own so it reached this point. ]

What, does it bother you?

[ HALF-LIGHT [Challenging: Failure] - Of course it *bothers* you! He didn't come to you because he knows the guy, he did it so he wouldn't have to do the hard work himself! He's making you his bitch, you bitch boy.

COMPOSURE [Challenging: Success] - You take hold of your emotions. It bothers you, but you don't crack. ]

No, it's fine. As long as we find the guy. That's what matters most.

[ that much is sincere, even if he does feel like... whatever. what the fuck ever. ]

Yeah, I agree. Sometimes people just go missing. Look, how about this. I'm asking you to help me with my job so I should be paying you in return for your time.

[ Nier's starting to wonder if this might take longer than he initially thought. It's not fair if Harry gets dragged too deeply into this.]

I can offer you some silver or anything else you might need.

[ HALF-LIGHT - YOU DON'T NEED HIS MONEY, FUCK HIM!

VOLITION [Medium: Success] - Calm down, you're getting worked up over nothing. Accept the offer. Sometimes an olive branch is just a branch. ]

How about this: I'll take half of whatever you earn off this. Finder's fee. Sound good?

[ a part of him feels bad for even asking for money. the other part likes money and hates being broke. he likes to think kim would at least be proud of him for not asking for money from every person he meets like back in martinaise. ]

That will work, thanks. I owe you for now so...remind me when we're done. I'll have to give what's due.

[ Some of the jobs that Nier does is really shady at times. If Harry accepts Nier's offer there might be some blood money mixed in there somewhere. Of course, it's not something that he says out loud but given his appearance and background a lot of his activities might be seen as illegal. Yikes. ]

There should be a decent amount of coin for you. Are cops getting paid well?

Hah. No.

[ a wry smile creases up on his features. what did kim say? twelve hour days, barely 5000 annually, and most of their funding is donation based. it's a broken joke. ever since he woke up he's certain he must have been an insane man to take this job and stick around for nearly two decades. he's even more certain he's currently insane for staying. ]

But hey, all that means is the ones who stick around are the most dedicated!

[ wait what why do a job that doesn't pay well? Dedication doesn't guarantee anything. Nier just looks very confused so much that he stops sprinting and has an expression of utter bewilderment. ]

Why do it then? I know you want to help people and do the right thing but it's not that simple. Nothing ever is.

[ There's got to be something more to this. Nier wonders what could drive someone to go to such lengths and willingly work with a job that has poor payments.]

[ he's quiet for a moment, letting the night overwhelm them in silence. then- ]

At the start, I did it for love. Now, it seems to be all I have.

[ SHIVERS [Challenging: Success] - Far away, in another land, in another world, a woman stands at a balcony. She stands over the scattered lights of Mirova at night, a hand on her stomach. In three months, she will give birth. It will be her first child and she is truly, truly happy.

INLAND EMPIRE [Trivial: Success] - It isn't yours. ]

[ Nier is very oblivious to his own feelings to the point of ignorance. He can't recall feeling something like love in his life. There was mostly hardship, sadness and more pain waiting just around the corner. Deep down there was somebody he could say that he loved. It's complicated. Love is complicated, but Harry did all this for love. ]

If it's all you have then you can't quit now. You couldn't possibly quit.

[ So Harry might be stuck being a cop for the rest of his life. Nier thinks that much but doesn't necessarily voice it out loud. ]

Am I right?

Yeah. But, it doesn't matter. The end of all things is coming one way or another. And Nier? [ his lips twitch up. ] It's going to be disco when it does.

[ harry's steps then start to slow, the jog tapering off as they get to the docks. the boats gently bop, tied to the wooden deck, and it seems there's not a soul in sight. it's the two of them and the sea. harry tenses and looks at him. ]

Ok, we're here.

[ They've reached the docks alright but by the time they arrived it's become night time. Nier looks a little disturbed if not frightened by the sky. He's never seen anything like night before and to his knowledge he had always thought it would be a bad thing. He looks tense, maybe even pensive. ]

Yeah, I suppose so. Harry, will the sun come back? It's so dark that it's terrifying to me.

[ Going twenty one years of his life without ever seeing real weather or change in atmosphere left him in a bit of a shock. Regardless of that they've got a job they need to do. ]

When will... [ he begins the sentence and immediately his words trail off, a moment of shock passing in and out of him. he blinks, makes sure he isn't having a stroke, and looks at nier. really *looks* at him. ] Did you ask when will the sun come back?

[ He looks utterly horrified by the prospect of night coming into view. Nier's hands won't stop shaking. ]

That's what I just asked. I've only known the endless sun. Surely the sky going dark would mean the end of humanity...

[ He literally thinks it's the end of the world. ]

Death is inevitable now.

[ Reaction from a guy who's never seen night before might seem extreme. ]

[ ENCYCLOPEDIA [Medium: Failure] - So, good news: through experience, you know that night time on its own is not the end of the world. Bad news: you don't know the exact mechanics the govern the day-night cycle of the world. For all you know, the sun just *disappears* and then *reappears* like magic.

LOGIC [Easy: Success] - You don't need to know the mechanics. You've seen the sun go down and come back up. You understand that it will return in approximately twelve hours. That much is easy to explain. ]

Um, no. I mean yes, death is inevitable, but not like this. [ his lips pucker and he lets out his breath, a quiet "oh boy" following. ok, this is fine. he's had a week of being explained incredibly basic things about reality and experiencing many of them first hand. he can do the same for nier. ] The sun went down, but it'll come back! It's going to take maybe twelve hours, but it will come back Nier.

So we aren't doomed into extinction just because it's dark? I really hope you're right.

[ Twelve hours. That seems like a really long time to Nier who's never experienced this phenomenon before. ]

I've heard stories of a sunless sky while I was growing up. It seemed...difficult for me to believe. We just have to wait then?

[ He doesn't look nearly as disturbed as before but he still seems bothered by it. Harry seems to know a lot though. ]

THE DISCO COP

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